Tag dispenser for packages



April 17, 1962 A. J. FELDMAN TAG DISPENSER FOR PACKAGES Filed May 20, 1960 um B mawlllkrll Em fl mmfiili IN V EN TOR. flaseer J- Enema/v A rrO P/ EY United States Patent 3,t}29,93 TAG DZPENER FGR PACKAGES Albert J. Feldinan, 59 Suttcn Place 5., New York, N.Y. Filed May 26, 1960, Ser. No. 30,596 3 Claims. (Cl. 2l)6--8il) This invention relates to a dispenser of the type which includes a card having a plurality of packages mounted thereon which may contain candy or other edible mate rial or medicinal tablets and the like, for example, chicles containing vitamin A and caffeine to help prevent night blindness and drowsiness of drivers of automotive vehicles.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a dispenser forvthe packaged ingredients indicated above which will permit the package to be torn from the mounting card of the dispenser by a simple one hand movement to provide an open and detached package in condition for dispensing the contents thereof through the opening therein. The dispenser is provided with means permitting its mounting on a member, for example an extending knob of an automobile dashboard, so that during the operation of the automobile the driver may remove a package from the dispenser and obtain the contents from the package using one hand only, without the necessity of removing the other hand from the steering wheel of the vehicle and without the necessity of removing his eyes from the roadway or diverting his attention from driving while obtaining the contents of the package.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings of the presently preferred embodiment of this invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of part of the dashboard of an automotive vehicle showing the dispenser of the present invention mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view, on a larger scale, taken on line "2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the dispenser looking in the direction of line 3 of FIG. 2, on a slightly smaller scale than FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of part of the dispenser illustrating the removal of a package therefrom; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the package after it has been removed from the dispenser.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the dispenser of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 suspended from a knob 12 extending from a dashboard 14 of an automotive vehicle. The dispenser is positioned on the dashboard in close proximity to the driver so that the driver may easily remove a package 16 containing a chicle of the type indicated above or containing any other edible material. The dispenser is mounted to the right of the driver enabling the driver to use his right hand in removing the package but the dispenser may be readily mounted to the left of the driver if so desired or if so required. In addition, it will be understood that the dispenser may be mounted on any extending member in any convenient place.

Dispenser 19 comprises an elongated mounting card 18 which is preferably of rectangular shape and is formed from a relatively stiff sheet material, for example heavy paper, cardboard, metal, wood, plastic material,etc. A plurality of vertically spaced horizontal slots or incisions 2%) are formed in card 18' throughout the length thereof. The slots extend from the front surface 22 of the card to the rear surface 24 thereof and end inwardly of each side edge 26 of the card. The portions 28 of the card defining the upper edges of the slots provide upper cutting edges and the portions 30 of the card defining the lower edges of the slots provide lower cutting edges and the cutting edges of each slot are in confronting relation as are the adjacent portions 28 and 30 of the card.

As here shown, each of the packages 16 is in the form of an envelope containing the edible material C and the envelope is formed from a tearable material, for example cellophane, paper, glassine, or the like and may be colored to prevent harmful rays from reaching the contents of the package. The envelope is made from a fiat sheet of material which is folded as shown in FIG. 5

and the overlapping parts sealed to each other, in a wellknown manner to form a compartment 31 for the material C which is defined by the walls 33 of the envelope (FIG. 2). The packages 16 are vertically spaced from each other in overlapping relation at the front 22 of the card 18. The upper end portion 32 of each package extends through a respective slot in the card and extends upwardly of said respective slot in overlapping relation with the rear surface of the portion of the card which is adjacent to said respective slot. The marginal edge portions 33a (FIG. 2) of the walls 33 of each package adjacent the companion slot at the front surface of the card are separate from each other. A strip 34 of a suitable pressure sensitive adhesive tape secures each upper end 32 of each package 16 to the rear surface 24 of the card. The upper end of the card is provided with an aperture 36 through which extends the knob; 12 or other protruding member from which the dispenser 10 may be suspended.

To detach a package 16 from the dispenser 10, the package is gripped between the thumb and forefinger of the hand, as illustrated in FIG. 4, and is pulled with a slight upward motion which causes the package to be torn by cutting edge 28 of the card along edge 38 of the envelope forming opening 40 therein at the marginal edge portions 33a of the walls 33 during the removal of the package from the dispenser 10. Accordingly, the detached package is automatically opened when it is detached from the dispenser and is in condition for dispensing its contents through said opening 40 which may be readily accomplished by placing the open end of the torn package in persons mouth and squeezing the outside of the package, causing the contents of the package to be ejected from the package into the mouth. The empty package may then be disposed of.

It will be apparent that the package may be removed from the dispenser and automatically opened during its removal by a single, slightly upward or downward movement of the package relative to the cutting edges 28 or 39, respectively, and the contents of the package placed in the persons mouth without said contents being touched or otherwise contaminated. In addition, this removal and opening are accomplished with the use of only one hand, thereby enabling the driver to keep his other hand on the steering wheel at all times and it will also be apparent that the removal may be accomplished without the necessity of visually observing the tearing action thereby obviating the necessity of diverting the driver's attention from operating the vehicle.

It will be understood that the dispenser may be suspended in other places, as desired, and the dispenser is not limited to automotive use only. While I have shown and described the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise than as herein specifically illustrated or described and that in the illustrated embodiment certain changes in the details of construction and in the form and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the underlying idea or principles of the invention. Accordingly, I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction shown or described herein except as may be required by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A dispenser for packages, comprising a package mounting member of relatively stifii sheet material having a plurality of packages supported thereon at one side of said member, each of said packages being in the form of an envelope of tearable material defined by a pair of walls which form a compartment for the contents of the package, said mounting member having a plurality of spaced slots for said envelopes, respectively, each of said slots being defined by a pair of confronting cutting edges provided by the confronting edge portions of said mounting member adjacent the companion slot, each of said envelopes having a portion extending through a companion slot to the other side of said mounting member, said walls of each of said envelopes having marginal edge portions adjacent the companion slot at said one side of said mounting member, said marginal edge portions being separate from each other, and means fixedly securing said extending portions of said envelopes in position at said other side of said mounting member so that each of said envelopes is detachable from said mounting member by tearing the envelope on a cutting edge of the companion slot to detach the envelope from said mounting member and concurrently form an envelope having an open end along said marginal edge portions of its walls for dispensing the contents of said package.

2. A dispenser for packages, comprising a package mounting member of relatively stiff sheet material having a plurality of packages supported thereon at one side of said member, each of said packages being in the form of an envelope of tearable material defined by a pair of walls which form a compartment for the contents of the package, said mounting member having a plurality of spaced slots for said envelopes, respectively, each of said slots being defined by a pair of confronting cutting edges provided by the confronting edge portions of said mounting member adjacent the companion slot, each of said envelopes having a portion extending through a companion slot to the other side-of said mounting member, said Walls of each of said envelopes having marginal edges portions adjacent the companion slot at said one side of said mounting member, said marginal edge portions being separate from each other, and a member secured to said other side of said mounting member and fixedly securing said extending portions of said envelopes in position at said other side of said mounting member so that each of said envelopes is detachable from said mounting member by tearing the envelope on a cutting edge of the companion slot to detach the envelope from said mounting member and concurrently form an envelope having an open end along said marginal edge portions of its Walls for dispensing the contents of said package.

3. A dispenser for packages, comprising a package mounting member of relatively stiff sheet material having a plurality of packages supported thereon at one side of said member, each of said packages being in the form of an envelope of tearable material defined by a pair of Walls which form a compartment for the contents of the package, said mounting member having a plurality of spaced slots for said envelopes, respectively, each of said slots being defined by a pair of confronting cutting edges provided by the confronting edge portions of said mounting member adjacent the companion slot, each of said envelopes having a portion extending through a com panion slot to the other side of said mounting member, said walls of each of said envelopes having marginal edge portions adjacent the companion slot at said one side of said mounting member, said marginal edge portions being separate from each other, and means fixedly securing said extending portions of said envelopes to said other side of said mounting member so that each of said envelopes is detachable from said mounting member by tearing the envelope on a cutting edge of the companion slot to detach the envelope from said mounting member and concurrently form an envelope having an open end along said marginal edge portions of its walls for dispensing the contents of said package.

4. A dispenser for packages, comprising a package mounting member of relatively stiff sheet material having a plurality of packages supported thereon at one side of said member, each of said packages being in the form of an envelope of tearable material defined by a pair of walls which form a compartment for the contents of the package, said mounting member having a plurality of spaced slots for said envelopes, respectively, each of said slots being defined by a pair of confronting cutting edges provided by the confronting edge portions of said mounting member adjacent the companion slot, each of said envelopes having a portion extending through a companion slot to the other side of said mounting member, said walls of each of said envelopes having marginal edge portions adjacent the companion slot at said one side of said mounting member, said marginal edge portions being separate from each other, means fixedly securing said extending portions of said envelopes to said other side of said mounting member so that each of said envelopes is detachable from said mounting member by tearing the envelope on a cutting edge of the companion slot to detach the envelope from said mounting member and concurrently form an envelope having an open end along said marginal edge portions of its walls for dispensing the contents of said package, and means for suspending said mounting member from a support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,030,996 Lustig Feb. 18, 1936 2,272,623 Runner Feb. 10, 1942 2,801,002 Volckening et al. July 30, 1957 2,804,236 Piazze Aug. 27, 1957 

